Spring Home Maintenance Tips for Owners and Sellers

Whether you are trying to sell your current home, or take good care of the one you have, here are a few good spring time maintenance tips.

• 
  Clean and lubricate hinges, locks, and moving parts in window and door hardware once a year to maintain ease of use. In Colorado sometimes these get stuck if doors and windows aren't open much in the winter. This is a safety issue as well as a convenience issue - you want to be able to get out of the house in an emergency.

• 
  Test the auto-reverse function on your garage door, as well as the balance. Familiarize yourself with the door's release mechanism in case of emergency or power failure. Kids will be playing outside more now that the weather is better so keep them safe in and around your garage.

• 
  Cut grass no shorter than 3 inches, and never more than 1/3 of the blade. Mow in the morning or evening. Deep watering, in the morning, is better for your grass than frequent, shallow watering. In our hot Colorado summers watering in the morning will save water too as it won't evaporate as much as it will if you water during peak sun hours.

Pam Metzger

Director of Relocation and Business Development

303-302-8839

pam@coloradolandmark.com

Twitter = pmcolorado

Foreclosures and Bank-Owned Properties in Boulder County

There were conflicting reports this week about the foreclosure activity in Boulder County. The first report that came out was a national report by RealtyTrac stating that the number of foreclosures in our area was DOWN by 20% over the first quarter of last year. A separate set of figures from the Boulder CountyPublic Trustee's office tell a different story, one with a 5% INCREASE in foreclosure activity for the same period. Different metrics used for calculations and a possible seven- to 10-day delay in the collection of information could account for the difference in statistics.

Regardless of the numbers, it is safe to say that most parts of Boulder County have been, by comparison to other parts of the country, lightly hit by the foreclosure glut. That is somewhat of a disappointment for those folks that are trolling around Realtor.com, Trulia and other internet real estate sites looking for bottom of the barrel deals. If you want to pick up a bank-owned property in Boulder County you will need to look at the north end of the county and shop around in Longmont, because that is where approximately 70% of the bank-owned, or REO properties are.

As the data shows, the number of REO properties sold in the 1st quarter of 2009 is down 30% from the same period in 2008, and down almost 14% from the same period in 2007. Prices of bank-owneds in 2009 have crept up only slightly from 2008. I haven't yet studied the statistical correlation between the number of foreclosures and the REO sales in a given period. However, there is usually a lag between the two as after the bank takes ownership of the home often there are things like cleaning, and repairs and improvements necessary to make the home saleable, and the time for these tasks varies from property to property.

Over 60% of those properties were sold at prices below $200,000. This is great news for first-time homebuyers interested in Longmont who want to take advantage of historically low interest rates and bargain home prices. It's also a great time to pick up a rental property if you are interested in investment opportunities.

For those bargain hunters still holding out hope that they can pick up a bank-owned steal in Boulder you had better be able to act fairly quickly. For 1st quarter 2009 there were only six REO sales in the city of Boulder. One property up on Flagstaff Mountain took over 200 days to sell, but for the remaining five properties the average days on market (DOM) was a quick 34 days. For the same period for ALL homes sold in the city of Boulder the average DOM was 139 days - quite a difference! The moral of the story ... be ready to move on a dime if you have any expectations of buying a property of this type in the city of Boulder.

Another way you can increase your odds of obtaining a bank owned home is to find a realtor that actually lists and sells these homes for a banking institution. These realtors get early notification from their bank clients as properties become available and have exclusive access to the bank's inventory before they place properties in the MLS and start marketing them. It's the good old "inside track". Realtors with bank-owned experience also have knowledge of the bank's procedures and can walk you through the sometimes complicated process.

If you would like more information about purchasing a bank-owned property don't hesitate to contact me and I will connect you with a realtor with specific expertise in REOs.

Pam Metzger
Director of Relocation and Business Development

pam@coloradolandmark.com

303-443-3377

Twitter = @pmcolorado

HARP Help for Homeowners

It has come to my attention that there is a little known element of the TARP/HARP money that may help our clients. As we all know the “Stated Income’ loan is a thing of the past and it has been difficult for self employed people to obtain financing, either purchase money or refinancing. I have recently learned with the help of one of my favorite lenders, Sarah Bozich of Chase (http://homeloan.chase.com/sarah.s.bozich), that in certain circumstances self employed people or people that once would have used a “Stated Income” scenario may be eligible for funds under provisions of the HARP.

Homeowners should be able to do a streamline refinance (for Fannie it is called: Refi Plus, for Freddie it is called Relief Refi). This is all part of the HARP....the new government Home Affordable Refinance Program. It involves a completed loan application, whatever application fee they collect up front, and self employed borrowers will need the first two pages of their tax return. This is the required proof that the Business/Income source exists. They will do a verbal VOE (Verification of Employment) on any cosigner. They may or may not do an appraisal. Even though they collect the first two pages of your tax return, there is no income reasonable risk evaluation.

Fannie and Freddie have different pricing methods so, depending on your credit score, that may or may not impact your rate .....even at that, now is a great time to purchase or refinance and this is a very easy way to go.....stated income, stated assets! Just like the good old days! You can go to Fannie's or Freddie's web sites to find out which one owns your loan – http://www.fanniemae.com/ or http://www.freddiemac.com/. Just an FYI, there is no number of financed property restrictions on these programs.

HARP or TARP … it is about time these funds start flowing to Main Street and help all of us win our way out of this recession. Good Luck and if Colorado Landmark can assist you in any way let us know – we want you to be successful!

Joel Ripmaster

Owner / Managing Broker

Colorado Landmark, Realtors

joelripmaster@coloradolandmark.com

303-641-3377

Home Grown Boulder company gets a look from some big hitters!

Just out today in the Boulder County Business Report - local company Clementine Art (spin off of Clementine Studios) has used recently raised funds to hire three top notch executives to launch and market its new line of children's art supplies.

The BCBR article states "John Maggio, co-founder of Boulder Chips, is chief executive. Gordon Cooper, former vice president of sales at Larabar, is vice president of sales and marketing. Katherine Gregory, previously with Williams Sonoma, is director of supply chain operations."

This is really exciting! Clementine Studios founder Diana Mercer used to teach art at the Friends School in Boulder, where both of my kids went to pre-school too many years ago! She launched her own business and obviously has done a great job bringing quality art education for kids to the Boulder community. Her new line of art supplies already includes organic play-dough, and will soon include a whole new line of all-natural and environmentally friendly products like paints, glues, brushes, etc... Their line will be sold in kits and sold in Whole Foods this summer!

Even more exciting is that at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California., in March, Mercer was approached by the CBS Morning Show, Target, Wal-Mart and Amazon.com about their new product line. At Colorado Landmark, Realtors we LOVE to see local companies shine and Clementine Arts is sure to do just that.

For more information on Clementine Studios and their classes go to: http://www.clementinestudioboulder.com/

For more information on Clementine Arts products go to: http://www.clementineart.com/

What Does it Mean to be in a “Buyer’s Market”?

It is best to return to basic economics. A buyer’s market is when there is more supply than demand. Some say it is when the inventory rises above a six month supply and there are more homes for sale than there are buyers for these homes. All agree that a buyer’s market has more inventory than demand for this inventory and so buyers are in control. So what this means is that there are typically more homes for sale for buyers to choose from. What it doesn’t mean is that a buyer has total control and can make unrealistic demands on the seller.

If you are a buyer looking to buy in Boulder, you may have your pick of several homes that meet your criteria..and you may not. Revisiting the simple economics and understanding how Boulder’s sustainable growth or housing cap works is an important piece of this equation. Boulder has its own limited supply by historical and ongoing scrutiny with new building permits. This plan started in the 1960s when the City implemented a sales tax increase and purchased greenbelts to remain as such; surrounding the city instead of issuing developers building permits for this space. Currently the idea of quality over quantity is still evident in the “Comprehensive Rezoning Proposal” which addresses both commercial and residential development within the City of Boulder.

I found a very well written case study based on Eben Fodor’s Better Not Bigger if you would like to read more about Boulder’s sustainable growth plan. So even if the national news is telling you it’s a “buyer’s market,” it is best to examine real estate city by city or even better: block to block. Some areas within Boulder and price ranges are definitely taking a hit. The upper end of the market (above $1,000,000) has seen longer days on market and fewer sales in the past 12 months. At the same time, single family homes under $400,000 have continued to sell in less than 80 days on average, some even going under contract the same day they are listed. It just goes to show that homes will sell and not every market is the same.

How about foreclosures or short sales? Buying from a bank has its own set of rules and if you are someone that likes to control situations then this is not for you. It is a game of "hurry-up and wait". When I was first starting my real estate career, all I did was buy foreclosures and pre-foreclosures. I know from experience it can be a long process. It can take a month or more for a bank to decide whether or not to accept a short pay offer and 80% don't get accepted. There is no one to call and push along, the person that answers the phone at the bank doesn't care much if the property sells or not and the listing agent has no control over the speed at which the bank responds. What’s more is because the market is moving in Boulder, there are little to no foreclosures available, even right now.

What else does a “buyer’s market” mean? Currently it means that buyers still have choices and incentives to buy. One of the most popular loan products I have seen is an FHA loan where the buyer only needs to bring 3.5% to the table. You can bring more of a down payment, but 3.5% is pretty stellar. This loan has been a 30 yr fixed with a rate around 5%, depending on the borrower. Also, the federal government has implemented a non-repayable $8,000.00 tax credit to first time home buyers. The terms “first time” are pretty loose as the definition according to the federal housing tax credit website says first time also means that you haven’t owned in the past 3 years. Visit the site to find out if the tax buyer credit will work for you.

And what about if you are a seller? Well, the above incentives for buyers are great because it keeps buyers buying. But sellers are not off the hook yet. Price your home right, stage it

properly and market it effectively. Look for a follow-up post from me on how sellers can reach their goals in a buyer’s market.

This post contributed by:

Sheila Mudd-Roberts

boulderrealtor@gmail.com

720-628-8454

Doors Open Denver - Exciting Event!

Colorado Landmark, Realtors wants to let you know about an exciting event coming up this weekend in Denver.

Doors Open Denver is an event that celebrates local architects and designers that have shaped the city of Denver. 2009 is the fifth year of this FREE, city-wide annual weekend event celebrating Denver's built environment. The two-day event allows you to go behind the scenes of the city’s significant architectural gems and lesser-known treasures.

The event is designed to create access, awareness and excitement about good design by welcoming a diverse audience into distinctive examples of architecture, engineering and design, both historic and modern.At the same time, it is an opportunity to invite Denver residents, as well as people from around the region, to come see what Denver has to offer and celebrate the city.

Spend the day on a self-guided tour of both historic and modern buildings, register for an Expert Tour or embark on an Urban Adventure, a self-guided tour based on a theme. Check out the list of participating sites, Expert Tours, Urban Adventures and special activities.

A great description of all the events can be found at: http://www.denver.org/what-to-do/museum-art/doors-open-denver-2009

And check out the event's official website for additional details to be added soon: www.denvergov.org/DoorsOpenDenver

Or for more information, contact Doors Open Denver Project Manager Carol Hiller at 303-282-5073 or caroleyii@aol.com.

Pam Metzger

Director of Relocation and Busienss Development

Colorado Landmark, Realtors

pam@coloradolandmark.com

303-302-8839 (direct)

Six Home Critical Home Staging Tips for Sellers

The Home-Staging Cheat Sheet

Source: US News and World Report

Six easy ways to make your property more appealing to buyers

Faced with a massive glut of unsold homes, many would-be sellers are struggling to make their properties stand out in today’s downtrodden real estate market. But while the economic head winds are beyond property owners’ control, author Barb Schwarz says they can dramatically improve their chances of making a sale by devoting attention to an often-overlooked corner of real estate marketing: home staging.

Schwarz, the CEO of StagedHomes.com, was a pioneer in home staging back in the early 1970s and has used the techniques to sell properties ever since. “The goal [of home staging] is for the buyer to mentally move in,” Schwarz says. “If they cannot mentally feel and see themselves living here, you’ve lost them.” Schwarz offers six simple tips to help home sellers better position themselves in a sluggish market.

Get them inside. The first thing a prospective buyer notices about a home is not the living room but the front yard. “A lot of people think staging is the inside only,” Schwarz says. “[But] we’ve got to stage the outside to get them inside.” So cut the grass, trim the hedges, rake those leaves, sweep the sidewalks, and power-wash the driveway. And make sure you don’t have too many potted plants scattered around the property. “Nothing dead,” Schwarz says. “You’d be amazed how many people have dead plants in their yards.”

Pretend you’re camping. Schwarz says a cluttered room will appear too small to buyers. “Clutter eats equity,” she says. Schwarz tells homeowners to go through each room of the house and divide their belongings into two piles: “keep” and “give up.” Items in the “keep” pile will be used to stage the room, while those in the “give up” pile should be stored elsewhere. “Pretend you are camping,” she says. “When you go camping, you are not taking all those books, right?” The decluttered rooms may appear bare to the seller, but the buyer won’t think so. “We are not selling your things…. We are selling the space,” Schwarz says. “And buyers cannot visualize when there is too much [stuff] in the room.” Decluttering a home’s outdoor spaces is important, too, she says.

Balance hard and soft surfaces. When staging a particular room, it’s essential to have a good balance of hard surfaces, such as a coffee-table top, and soft surfaces, like a carpet, Schwarz says. For example, a room with a cushy, 7-foot-long sofa, a love seat, and four La-Z-Boy recliners has too many soft surfaces and not enough hard surfaces. “The room is sinking,” she says. “It’s all too heavy.” Instead, consider getting rid of the La-Z-Boys and the love seat, replacing them with two wingback chairs. “If you have hardwood floors but no rugs, it’s too hard,” Schwarz says. “So you want to add a rug.”

Work in ones or threes. Schwarz recommends arranging items on top of hard surfaces in ones or threes. You would place three items—say, a lamp, a plant, and a book—on top of a larger hard surface, like an end table. “You take away the plant and the book, it’s too bare,” she says. “[But if] you put 10 things on it, it’s overdone.” The three items should be closely grouped together in a triangle shape. “I draw a triangle for my clients,” Schwarz says. “I say, ‘Here is the end table—let’s superimpose a triangle on top of it.’ ” For hard surfaces with less area, however, a single item will do.

Decide from the doorway. Since would-be buyers will get their first impression of each room from the doorway, homeowners should use that perspective to judge their staging work. “Do your work, go back to the doorway. Do some more, go back to the doorway,” Schwarz says. That way, you’ll be better able to ensure that each room appeals to buyers.

Make your place “Q-Tip clean.” A properly staged home should be immaculate—”Q-Tip clean,” as Schwarz puts it. “I mean Q-Tips getting dead flies out of your windowsill [and] going around the bottom of your toilet on the floor,” she says. The purpose of ensuring the house is spotless is more than simply making it presentable. If a home is unkempt, a buyer will wonder what other, less visible problems may come with the property, Schwarz says. “They’ll say, ‘Gosh, if they live like this, what don’t they take care of that I can’t see?’”

Broker associates at Colorado Landmark, Realtors can help you sell your home with the best staging and price positioning techniques. Contact Pam at 303-302-8839 or pam@coloradolandmark.com for more information.

Studio Shed ... Finally, an alternative to traditional "barn-style" sheds and costly remodels.

Studio Shed is a prefabricated space that embraces the emerging lifestyle of smaller but smarter living. An inspired room with a variety of uses: a home office, an art studio, a kid's playroom, or simply a place to store a mountain bike. Manufactured in Boulder and engineered for maximum snow and wind loads, Studio Sheds are a durable, eco-friendly and attractive solution to conventional back yard storage.

The ultimate goal at Studio Shed was to prefabricate the easiest to assemble, best looking, and most durable product on the market. Thanks to smart design partners, they've turned an original idea into a completely modular building. Studio-Shed offers installed buildings or a DIY flat packed kit. Installation by the Studio Shed team takes about 8 hours (one-day install video here).

Save the date. Studio Shed Launch Party, Boulder. June 6th. RSVP - answers@studio-shed.com.
More info at http://www.studio-shed.com/.

This post contributed by ...

Botsy Phillips

Broker Associate

720.629.5100 (cell)

botsyphillips@hotmail.com

Good News and Bad News ... which do you want first?

Well the media is starting to turn around a little and seems to have discovered that if you print something remotely positive about the economy people might read it! But as always there is good news and bad news. Which do you want first? Let's save the good news for last.

First the bad news ... Boulder and the rest of our area is not feelin' the uptick yet. I just ran the numbers for our MLS for March 2009 compared to March 2008 and here is what I found:

• # of new listings is DOWN 16.4% for single family and 6.5% for attached dwellings - many sellers are still reluctant to test the waters or can't afford to take a loss. This also means that although there are some foreclosures in our area they have not flooded the market at this time.


• Median and average list prices are UP 7-10% for both single family and attached. Sellers still haven't internalized the message that homes are not going to move at 2005-2007 prices anymore!


• # of units sold is DOWN, and in a big way - 32% for both single family and attached. Yikes! Obviously despite the "bubble" we all think we live in here in the Boulder/Denver area we are definitely seeing the effects of depressed consumer confidence.


• Median and average sold prices are DOWN too, although not as bad as they could be - 5.7% and 13.5% for single family respectively, and less than 1% and 7.6% for attached dwellings.


• Total home sales $ volume is DOWN also in a big way - over 41% for single family, and over 37% for attached dwellings, which just validates that fewer units are selling, and for lower prices than last year at this time.

So what does that mean for you as a seller? If you live in Longmont, Loveland/Berthoud, Ft. Collins or Greeley/Weld County then your house might sell quicker than you think. These are the areas with the highest # of units sold in March 2009. It's no coincidence that these are also some of the more affordable communities in our MLS coverage area. Only 35 homes and 52 attached dwellings sold in Boulder last month. Broomfield, Louisville, Lafayette and Superior all report lower units sold as compared to last year.

Okay, these are the facts, and they are indisputable (isn't that a movie line?). I wish we had better numbers to report, but it's not our job to blow sunshine in anyone's face. As real estate professionals we have a responsibility to our clients to provide the facts, meaningful analysis, and make all of this relevant to our clients and their situations.

Now ... here is the GOOD news from a few different news feeds from today (I know you are saying "Finally!"):

Recovery Hopes Begin to Blossom - from CNN Money.com 4/7/09
http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/06/news/economy/recovery/index.htm?section=money_latest
Economists think there are some long- and short-term indicators giving more hope that the economy is closer to a turnaround than previously thought. Pent up demand for goods, slowing job losses, and home price declines will all help to turn around consumer confidence and fuel a recovery.

Signs of a Housing Bottom? - from CNBC.com 4/6/09
http://www.cnbc.com/id/30071303?__source=RSS*blog*&par=RSS
Existing and new home sales increased in February. Sales are headed in the up direction. Blogger/real estate reporter Diana Olick is slightly optimistic!

Signs of Hope and Fear In "Foreclosure Central" - from CNBC.com 4/7/09
http://www.cnbc.com/id/30086754
Signs of hope in the housing market because sales have jumped. The $8000 tax credit being one reason. Prices have stabilized and inventory is down in some markets. Markets that have seen huge foreclosure activity are starting to see more green lawns, meaning less vacant foreclosure properties and people are out in their yards. "That part of it is very encouraging."

So as I said earlier ... Boulder and the rest of our area is not feelin' the uptick ... yet. Key word = YET. It is coming - we see it in our office every day with agents setting showings like crazy on our listings. Consumer confidence is on the rise - maybe everyone just needed to go have a good spring break, and now they are back they are testing the waters.

Hope you had a good spring break! Now get off the fence, and into the yard!

Pam Metzger
Director of Relocation and Business Development
Colorado Landmark, Realtors
pam@coloradolandmark.com
303-302-8839

Steve Remmert Hosts Easter Egg Hunt

Boulder real estate expert Steve Remmert hosts his Annual Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt in conjunction with Boulder Lending Group.

Sunday, April 12 @ 12:00 noon

North Boulder Park

• Open to children of all ages
• Bring a basket to collect your goodies
• Special appearance by the Easter Bunny
• Bongo the Clown
• Face Painting
• Juggling Show
• Golden Eggs and special prizes

For questions contact Steve Remmert directly 303-302-8833 or sremmert@coloradolandmark.com

Home Sellers - Let's Take Action Together!

Historic evidence shows us that at any given time in a healthy real estate marketplace that 25% of its standing inventory should be under contract at all times. This is not the case in Boulder’s luxury real estate market and it concerns me. Are we really in a healthy place or are we fooling ourselves? I think the latter and the numbers and statistics are proving me right.

So … it is time for our friends and clients to take note and make real changes. Price Changes! In the past I have on occasion lost listings to other brokers. On my exit interview with the seller I have more often than not heard “ Why didn’t you tell me it was price, we are flexible”. Well now it is official, we need price reductions of some consequence to function correctly to get us back to normal.

If there are 115 homes listed over $2,000,000 and 5 of those homes are currently under contract, we actually need 25-30 homes under contract to mark the bottom of the market and put full recovery under way. I want our listings at Colorado Landmark, Realtors to lead the way to that recovery. So when people ask me about the local real estate market, market recovery and the “reality of realty”, I would love to say we lead the way from stagnation to normal and beyond.

Sellers … here is your mission for the next 90 days:

• Lower your listing price - your agent can help with strategic price positioning
  
• consider owner financing as a way to attract additional buyers


• stage your home and don't forget about the front yard


• anticipate and neutralize known cosmetic or maintenance issues that could pull buyers off the fence in the wrong direction


• look into solving buyer problems with creative ideas and methods, such as exchanges and leasing options
  

… and most of all, full out effort by the whole team – sellers, agents, and companies.

We can do this and do it together. Don’t come to me months from now and say “I wish I had lowered my price for the spring market” and be disappointed that you are headed into next fall or winter still sitting on the sidelines. Now is the time!

Joel Ripmaster

Owner / Managing Broker

Colorado Landmark, Realtors

joelripmaster@coloradolandmark.com

Boulder Farmers Market Opens This Weekend!

The Boulder Farmer’s Market opens this Saturday, and runs Saturdays from 8 am – 2pm and Wednesday evenings from 4pm – 8pm until mid-fall on 13th Street next to Central Park in downtown Boulder.

The market is a great way to support local farmers and businesses and pick up delicious, seasonal, natural & organic produce, as well as tons of prepared foods, fresh flowers, and enjoy all the wonderful things that Boulder has to offer. It is also THE place to see and be seen by the hip Boulder set if you are into that kind of thing!

Big snow predicted for tomorrow though - not so great for the opening weekend, so let's hope that the weather forecasters are misinformed!

For more information check out http://www.boulderfarmers.org/

This information posted by:

Jennifer Fly

Broker Associate, Colorado Landmark, Realtors

jenniferfly@coloradolandmark.com

303-302-8823 (direct)

Reality Bytes - Boulder County Home Inventories

When I say I can sympathize with frustrated homeowners whose properties haven't sold yet, I really mean it, because my own home is for sale too. I have been considering a price reduction on my property, so I decided to do some research on inventory levels in my home's market area. It occurred to me that other folks in Boulder County might want this information too.

Here's what I did ... I found the number of homes sold in various price categories for the last six months, from September 2008 through March 2009. Then I compared that with the current inventory as of yesterday, April 1st 2009. With some simple math I determined the number of months worth of inventory in each price range. This gives a seller an idea of how long it may take to sell their home.

And let me tell you ... the news ain't good, at least in some price ranges. Not so great for sellers that is, but great for buyers because there is a lot to choose from. Overall the most dismal news is in the high end condo market in the City of Boulder. And not surprising is the glut of homes in county inventory over the $1.5M price point. The good news ... if you have a home between $200-500k you can expect to sell it within approximately 6 months or less. In the chart below, if you see "none sold" instead of a number of months of inventory it is because no properties sold in that price range from September 2008 through March 2009, which in itself is a significant statistic.

A couple of notes ..

• The numbers represent the number of months it would take for all of the existing inventory to sell, assuming that the rate at which buyers are purchasing remains the same and no new inventory is added.


• The existing inventory is just a snapshot in time. Inventory changes daily and usually increases in the spring and summer. But there are also more buyers during this time as well.


• Unfortunately not every home is saleable in its current condition - some properties are just too flawed to attract a buyer without deep, deep discounting.
  

If you would like a similar analysis of inventory in your neighborhood don't hesitate to contact me!

Pam Metzger

Director of Relocation

pam@coloradolandmark.com

303-302-8839 (direct)

Next Generation Sources for Real Estate Information

If you want to really get your finger on the pulse of what is happening in the real estate market today you need to find the people who know your market, and then listen, listen, listen, and ask questions. And no you don't have to stalk someone, at least not physically! But you can lurk around in various on-line communities like Facebook, and (my new favorite) Twitter, and see what people are saying.

We have all heard the quip that a national real estate forecast/report is about as relevant to you as an individual as a national weather forecast. This has some truth to it, but don't swallow this whole. There are some great minds posting thoughts and analysis on-line about real estate and the economy that don't necessarily live in your community. There are also some great minds IN your community, so you need to identify who they are and check to see if they are active in any of the on-line communities or if they have a blog.

Blogs are also a great source for some good reads about real estate. Remember when you are reading a blog that the content posted is based largely on opinion, so find someone whose opinion you are interested in and then hit it regularly.

Don't be scared off by on-line social media! Facebook is really easy to use and you don't have to put any personal information out there if you don't want to. There are plenty of ways to play around with your privacy settings if you do want to post something personal to restrict access. Twitter is all about short snippets of information and links to blogs and websites that might contain the information you are looking for. You can lurk and never post anything if you don't want to, and nothing has to be personal.

If you are interested in getting real estate information on-line here is your "to do" list:

• Look for me on Twitter and find out who I am following - @pmcolorado - and then check out their websites and blogs
• Look for sources on Facebook and find out who they are networking with. Search on key terms - boulder, homes, real estate, etc... to find groups and people of interest
• Check out http://therealestatebeat.com/ - a great blog from the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World network
• Check out http://www.luxuryportfolio.com/blog/2008 - a blog on luxury real estate and all things luxury from the Luxury Portfolio Fine Property Collection
• National home info - http://www.housingwire.com/
• HGTV's Real Estate website - great Guides & articles, find homes - http://www.frontdoor.com/
• News and articles, world-wise home search capability - http://www.relohomesearch.com/
• Good local Boulder area real estate blogger - http://www.boulder-buzz.com/
• Subscribe to THIS blog!

Pam Metzger
Director of Relocation
pam@coloradolandmark.com
303-302-8839 (direct)